Got a question for ChatGPT but no Wi-Fi connection? OpenAI has introduced a new way for US users to connect to the popular AI chatbot: call 1-800-CHATGPT or 1-800-242-8478.
OpenAI announced the feature on Wednesday and demonstrated how it works via a YouTube live stream. OpenAI researchers called the number, which contained everything from an iPhone to a flip phone to a landline. Regardless of the medium, the final output was the same: “Hello again, this is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence assistant. Our conversation may be subject to security review. How can I help you?”
In a live demo, ChatGPT helped a researcher identify landmarks he said he saw while traveling. In another case, she provided another researcher with an English-to-Spanish translation so she could greet a friend’s grandmother in Spanish.
Making ChatGPT available via a phone call is part of the company’s goal to make AI “accessible to as many people as possible,” OpenAI product lead Kevin Weil said in a demo video.
Related: After this 26-year-old connected to ChatGPT, he built a “simple” side hustle around the bot that made him $4,000 a month
Currently, each phone number is limited to 15 free minutes of call time, and there are no announced plans to monetize this feature.
Only US users can call ChatGPT, but OpenAI also announced on Wednesday that global users can access the chatbot by texting 1-800-242-8478 via WhatsApp. In the demo, ChatGPT suggested a recipe for a pasta dish with pesto via WhatsApp and changed it to be vegan at the user’s request.
Both calling and messaging features include chatting with ChatGPT without creating an account.
According to Weil, the OpenAI team built this capability in a matter of weeks.
“They went to great lengths to send him and it’s great to see him here,” he said.
This feature is one of many announcements made by OpenAI as part of its “12 Days of OpenAI” event. Other new features released by the company during the same event include opening up ChatGPT Search to all users, free or paid, and making the Sora text-to-video generator available to the general public.
Related: Is ChatGPT Search better than Google? I Tried A New Search Engine To Find Out.